[pertinent quote: In a statement accompanying the release of the numbers, Bishop Tobin called the Year of Evangelization a “measured success.”

“While it is encouraging that the decline in Sunday Mass attendance has subsided, it is very important that we as a church continue to invite and welcome those who are returning to the church or those exploring the Catholic faith,” he said. “As parishes throughout the diocese share this encouraging news, it is important to remember that the vibrancy of the faith is more important than numbers alone.”]